Public Commons

• Preliminary chats about the Ward 18 Parks Conservancy. This is a log of various cups of coffee or tea with park friends all over the ward. These chats have just begun, and if any reader wants to talk, please get in touch!

Part of Community Notebooks: Ward 18 Conservancy

Conversations about conservancies

February 25, 2012. Coffee with Vic Gedris (Junction Triangle) at Angel's Cafe.

February 27, 2012. Visit with Donna Cowan, president of Digin. digin blog

March 1, 2012: Tea with Anne Shaddick, an early participant (1993) in the Dufferin Grove Park project.

March 2, 2012: Visit with Charles Campbell and Michelle Gay, members of Active 18. Found out about Charles Campbell's Planning website which includes frank, knowledgeable rants about the realistic chances of citizen involvement.

March 6: tea with Andrea Dawber Greenhere

March 6 2012: tea with Brenda Heyer, Perth Park and Carlton Park

March 6, 2012: visit with Gabrielle Langlois, Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre DPNCHC

March 7 2012, coffee with Helder Ramos, co-ordinator of Dundas West BIA.

March 7 2012, talk by Marcus Westbury from Australia about "Renew Newcastle". Talk sponsored by East Danforth Community Association (DECA)

March 8 2012: lunch with Jane Wells, Trinity Bellwoods Care Program

March 9 2012: Phone call with Scott Dobson (Railpath park)

March 13: coffee with Gary Van Der Meer, priest at St.Anne's Church

March 13: garden visit with Susan Berman, Perth-Dupont Community Garden at Symington Park.

March 15 2012, lunch with Tim Grant Harbord Village Residents' Association

March 16 2012, lunch with Nancy Peters, probation officer for youth court

March 19 2012, coffee with John Bowker

March 22 2012: coffee with David Crombie, Leona Rodell from Harbourfront Community Centre (board of management)

March 22 2012: meeting of the Toronto Sports Council with City of Toronto Parks, about the sudden permit fee hike for children's sports. Karen Petrie's letter about the fee increases is here.

March 23 2012: reading session at Corporate Access and Privacy offices, City Hall. Conversation with FOI staff about conservancy research material.

March 23 2012: coffee with Ward 18 Councillor Ana Bailao (originally scheduled for March 9)

March 26 2012: walkabout on Bloor Street, Ossington to Lansdowne, with John Bowker. Here's a link to his blog about Roncesvalles now.

March 27 2012: meeting with City Councillor Ana Bailao and her constituency assistant Nicholas Gallant, about the Parks Conservancy and about Councillor Bailao's upcoming "Ward 18 Parks Summit."

March 27 2012: phone conversation with Clarke Mackey, Queen's University film professor, seeking advice about making a better conservancy power point presentation. Mackey is a pioneer of innovative use of the web: Memory Palace

March 29 2012: West Queen West "Party with your Neighbourhood," Great Hall, 1087 Queen Street West (at Dovercourt). Conversations with southern residents of Ward 18, if it's not too loud to talk. Put on by Active 18

March 30 2012: meeting with Lea Houston of Mabelle Arts, about possibilities of an Etobicoke conservancy approach.

April 2 2012: meeting with John Bowker re integrating BIA and community people and parks conservancy

April 2 2012: Friends of McCormick Park monthly meeting at Mary McCormick Recreation Centre

April 2 2012: Town Hall meeting about High Park playground, Swansea Town Hall

April 3 2012: City Hall Council Chambers special meeting re field permit fees. Set up by Councillors Davis and Doucette: conversations at the margins.

April 4 2012 Big on Bloor meeting, New Horizons Tower

April 5 2012: phone call with Dave Harvey, Toronto Park People

April 7 2012: International Roma Day, Gladstone Hotel

April 9 2012: cup of coffee with Howard Birnie, president of the Leaside Baseball Association.

April 10 2012: Presentation by Dave Harvey and Ed Uhlir at Koffler House (569 Spadina) on parks partnerships. Conversation afterwards, maybe.

April 11, 2012: walkabout along Roncesvalles with John Bowker, from the Roncesvalles BIA.

April 12 2012: meeting of Danforth East Community Association re Monarch Park, Monarch Park Collegiate Auditorium

April 13 2012: lunch at the Dufferin Grove Park clubhouse with Karen Pitre, president of the Toronto Sports Council.

April 17 2012: visit with David Johnston and friends from various parts of the country, to talk about how things get done.

April 22 2012: coffee with Adam Popper (Susan Tibaldi Park)

April 23 2012: coffee at Dufferin Grove Park with Karoline Seip to talk about Adam House

April 23 2012: phone call with Ana Bailao, City Councillor for Ward 18, to talk about the conservancy.

April 24 2012: Community Development and Recreation Committee meeting in Committee Room 1 at City Hall, about the new City/TDSB swiming pool agreement: partnerships

April 24 2012: coffee with Gene Threndyle, talking about the Artscape oven.

April 25 2012: coffee with Dougal Bichan to talk about Big on Bloor

April 25 2012: panel and conversation (maybe) at 401 Richmond St. Urbanspace Gallery, put on by the Centre for City Ecology: Section 37.

April 26 2012: coffee with Michele Landsberg

April 26 2012: 5.15: walkabout and conversation with a class from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in northern New York State. Led by their sociology professor James Spates and local photographer Vincenzo Pietropaolo. The visit is part of their course work for the university's "Two cities" course.

April 26 2012: 6.30: Bloorcourt BIA public meeting about the 2013 street renovation.

April 27 2012: walkabout with Anna Hill at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

April 27 2012: meeting with Andrew Cash, M.P. for Davenport, talking about the conservancy and the difficulty in getting budget details, at any level of government.

April 30 2012: second phone call with Ana Bailao, City Councillor for Ward 18, to talk about the conservancy.

May 5 2012: Ward 18 Community Parks Summit, put on by Councillor Ana Bailao, at Dovercourt Park, followed by a Saturday Night Supper at Dufferin Grove Park. Here are notes and Map commentary images from the Councillor's office.

May 6 2012: Campfire conversations during Jane's Walk, at MacGregor Park and at Campbell Park

May 8 2012: coffee with Jim Jacobs, about Jane Jacobs and her approaches to public space.

May 16 2012: muffins and cookies with two CUPE Local 79 shop stewards, plus three Ward 18 recreation part-time workers.

May 17 2012: coffee and walkabout with Fanny Martin, coordinator of the 2012 citywide "Jane's Walks."

May 17 2012: meeting at North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, about the future of children-and-youth sports field fees. Conversations afterwards.

May 18 2012: phone call with Councilor Ana Bailao, about the conservancy.

Upcoming:

May 24, 2012: meeting with Ward 18 recreation supervisor Glen Synowicki, about the city's new "partnerships" policies (not yet unveiled) and the conservancy.